


The Treasure Of Captain Hook

by Onthecyberseas



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Curse Breaking, F/F, F/M, Fear, Past Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Thought Projection, Treasure Hunting, Trials, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 13:56:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13765578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onthecyberseas/pseuds/Onthecyberseas
Summary: Emma finds a mysterious treasure map that leads to much more than she bargained for.





	The Treasure Of Captain Hook

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta and artists for their help with this story.

Emma slowed to a light jog as she reached her town’s beach. She always found that running cleared her head, something that she learned from her best friend, Ruby. Emma was frustrated, but couldn’t fully comprehend why. She had great friends that she shared an apartment with, and a steady job at the Sheriff’s station. She should be happy, but something felt like it was missing. It didn’t help that her two best friends couldn’t admit their attraction to each other and yet she felt like a third wheel in their apartment. 

As she ran along the beach, she spotted something shiny sticking out of the sand. She stopped and pulled out the object, a glass bottle. A folded piece of paper was nestled inside, and Emma tried to pull it out. The paper came out after a couple of tries and she unfolded it to read the message. Her eyes widened in surprise to see that it was a map of some sort, an X marking the upper corner with a caption that said “Captain Hook’s Treasure.”

Emma laughed at the validity of the map, but pocketed it anyway. She was sure that her other friend Belle would appreciate it more than she would. She was into legends, and stories of adventure, and Ruby would probably get a kick out of it as well.

Finishing her run, she arrived back at the apartment to find Ruby and Belle on opposite ends of the couch. She had known of Ruby’s crush on Belle since they had met in college, but Ruby had never told Belle in fear of losing her friendship. Belle seemed distant lately, and Emma knew how hurt Ruby was by her pulling away. Emma knew that Belle returned Ruby’s feelings; she had gotten really good at reading people over the years, having perfected the skill in her years in foster care. However, neither Ruby nor Belle seemed willing to make the first move.

Emma cleared her throat and Ruby and Belle snapped their attention to her. “Hey, Em,” Ruby greeted her. “How was your run?”

Pulling out the supposed treasure map from her pocket, Emma said, “I thought you might be interested in this.” She handed it to Belle, who looked at it curiously. “I found it in a bottle on the beach.”

Ruby looked over Belle’s shoulder, and Emma saw them both blush at the close proximity. Belle pulled away, and Emma saw Ruby frown at the loss of contact as Belle ran into her room. She returned with one of her books, a dense looking one titled, The History Of Storybrooke. 

Belle set the book on the table and gestured Emma and Ruby over. They complied and saw that Belle opened the book to a page containing a map of the town of Storybrooke. Emma saw that the map corresponded to the landmarks shown on the supposed treasure map. The location of the treasure seemed to be in the forest at the edge of the town. Emma had rarely been there, but she knew that Ruby liked to run through the trees.

“What kind of treasure do you think is there?” Ruby asked excitedly. “Gold? Jewels?”  
Emma rolled her eyes at her friend’s overactive imagination. “Probably some kid’s old time capsule that they forgot about.”

Ruby frowned at Emma skepticism, “Why would a kid hide their time capsule in the middle of the forest?”

“Why would a pirate bury their treasure there?” Emma countered.

Belle flipped through the book’s pages before looking up at them. “There’s nothing in here about a Captain Hook...or about any other pirate.” Emma looked triumphantly at Ruby, who glared back at her. Belle added, “Just because he’s not mentioned, doesn’t mean that there isn’t something for us to find there.” Her eyes seemed to light up with excitement at the idea of an adventure. Emma saw Ruby smile at Belle, but that Belle quickly looked away to avoid her gaze.

“What would you do with the treasure?” Belle asked, focusing her gaze on Emma.

Emma responded quickly, deciding to play along with the hypothetical question. “Pay off my student loans.”

“I’d buy a new car,” Ruby answered. She quickly added, “And buy Granny a new house.” She turned to Belle and asked, “What about you?”

Belle bit her lip as she thought about it. “I’d take a trip. See the world. And buy lots of books.”

“So, when are we going?” Ruby asked.

After thinking over it for a moment, Belle answered, “We could go tomorrow morning.” Ruby smiled at her and nodded in agreement.

Emma rolled her eyes, unable to believe that they were actually going through with this so-called treasure hunt. “You two have fun.”

Ruby looked at her incredulously. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“It’s a waste of time,” Emma scoffed. As much as Emma wanted to believe in the idea of fairy tales, life had taught her to look at things practically. After all, there was no such thing as a Fairy Godmother in this world.

“Maybe it is,” Belle said, “but we won’t know until we go.” Emma opened her mouth to argue, but Belle continued, “It’ll be a really fun adventure.”

Ruby nodded in agreement. “I agree.” She turned to Emma and asked, “What else are you planning on doing tomorrow?”

Emma was on the verge of saying no, but she stopped herself. Ruby and Belle had a point, going exploring would be much more fun than hanging on the couch all day watching movies. As much as she loved the town of Storybrooke, things could get boring there sometimes. Maybe this would help her feel better, even if they didn’t find any actual treasure.

“All right,” Emma said, “I’ll go with you guys.”

Ruby cheered and pulled Emma into a hug. Belle smiled over at her and mouthed a “Thank you” towards her before she bent down to study the map. Ruby busied herself by packing a bag of essentials for their trip.

“We don’t need a sleeping bag,” Emma said, as she saw Ruby pull hers out of the closet.

Raising her eyebrow, Ruby replied, “You never know.”

“I agree with Ruby,” Belle said, barely looking up from the map she was studying. 

Emma rolled her eyes, knowing that she would be outnumbered in any decisions that had to make over the course of this trip. “Fine,” she conceded, “What do you need me to do?”

Ruby gave her instructions and Emma explored their apartment for supplies. Once their bags were packed, Belle showed them her notes from the map. “There appears to be some sort of cavern where the treasure is,” she explained.

“How deep is it?” Emma asked, grimacing at the idea of going into a dark, enclosed space.

Belle answered, “I have no idea. Apparently, nobody has ever been in there.”

Ruby stood up, “I’ll get some flashlights then. Just in case.”

Emma suggested that they get a good night’s sleep and the three women went to their respective rooms. Flopping down on her own bed, she wondered to herself why she let Ruby and Belle talk her into this wild goose chase.

  
  


The next morning arrived, and Emma groaned at the sunlight hitting her eyes. She rolled out of bed, and quickly got dressed. Ruby and Belle were waiting for her in the kitchen, a plate of pancakes sitting temptingly in the center of the table.

Ruby and Belle talked excitedly as they ate, but Emma was lost in her own thoughts as she quietly dug into her own stack. A part of her considered staying behind and letting her roommates go on their own. Letting them go together and work their issues out sounded better than her original plan of locking the two of them in one of the rooms until they finally admitted their feelings for each other. 

However, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. After a night of tossing and turning, she wondered how the map in the bottle had come to her. Though Emma refused to believe in fate, a small part of her believe there was a reason that she had been the one to find it. Besides, in the small, unlikely chance that there was buried treasure, Emma couldn’t deny the fact that she could use the money. Those bills and student loans weren’t going to pay themselves.

Emma helped Ruby clean up the dishes before the three women started on their adventure. They made their way through town, passing by Ruby’s granny’s diner, waving to the old but fierce woman as they continued their walk to the woods.

Belle led the way through the woods, holding the map in her hands for guidance. Ruby and Emma didn’t question her directions, as Belle walked with a determined sense of purpose. Emma had never been in the woods, but she was overwhelmed by the scale of it. Ruby pointed out various landmarks to them during their walk, and seemed particularly interested in the animal tracks along their path.

About noon, they stopped at a set of rocks to rest. Emma drank from her water bottle, and asked, “How much longer?”

Belle pointed to a drawing of rocks on the map that was about an inch from the marked treasure spot. “Not much.”

They decided to eat their lunch, and Emma pulled out her peanut butter sandwich out of her bag. She was about to take a bite before she heard a mysterious voice say, “Turn back, dearie.”

Emma looked around, but she found no evidence of the voice belonged to. Ruby and Belle didn’t seem to have any reaction to the voice. “Did you hear that?” Emma asked.

“Hear what?” Belle asked, looking slightly concerned for her.

Ruby added, “I didn’t hear anything.” Emma knew that if Ruby, who seemed to have superhuman hearing at times, couldn’t hear it, then it could mean one thing.

Both Ruby and Belle looked at her with concern. “Are you okay?”

Emma quickly nodded, not wanting to admit that she was hearing disembodied voices. “I’m fine. It must have been the wind.” She finished her sandwich, preparing herself for the next leg of their trip. There was no way she was letting a disembodied voice tell her what to do.

They resumed their trip as Belle continued to lead them through the woods. “Turn back, dearie!” The voice said to Emma, louder and with more urgency. No. Emma thought to herself. I won’t.

“Your funeral,” the voice responded, as though it could read her mind. A chill ran down Emma’s spine and she shuddered. She couldn’t deny that she was scared, but yet she became more determined to find what was in this damn cavern.

“Are we there yet?” Emma gritted out, noticing that Ruby and Belle were walking side by side several steps ahead of her.

They stopped, and Belle pointed forward. “It’s over there!” Emma caught up to them and saw that a massive cave was sitting in a clearing of the forest. The area looked like it hadn’t been touched in centuries.

“Last chance, dearie,” the voice returned, “If you know what’s good for you.” 

Emma tensed, but reached into her bag and grabbed her flashlight. “I’ll go first,” she said to Ruby and Belle. They nodded and Emma gripped the flashlight in her hand as she stepped into the mouth of the cave.

Darkness surrounded Emma, and she quickly turned her flashlight on. She looked around as she illuminated her surroundings. The cave was deserted, and Emma saw a hole at the edge that would presumably drop into the cavern below. “The coast is clear!” Emma called out to Ruby and Belle. “But we’re going to need your rope.”

She heard Ruby and Belle step inside, and saw them as soon as they turned on their flashlights. Ruby pulled her rope out her bag and they tied it to a rock before dangling the rope down the hole. Emma volunteered to go first once again, as she climbed down the rope. She lost her grip at the end of the rope and tumbled down. Emma screamed and closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact.

She finally made contact with something, but found that she wasn’t injured. As she attempted to move, she felt arms wrap around her. “Put me down,” Emma hissed as she struggled out of the mysterious person’s grasp. She heard Ruby and Belle call out to her, and she quickly yelled, “I’m okay.”

Whoever was holding her complied with her request. Emma’s feet hit the ground and she turned to face the person. She nearly gasped as her flashlight illuminated a handsome man, who was grinning at her. Emma took in his deep blue eyes, his charming smile, and a leather ensemble with a red vest that had a plunging neckline to reveal his chest. “Hello, love,” the man said, his eyes never leaving hers. He was smirking in a way that seemed to know the effect his attractiveness had on her.

Before Emma could ask the man for his name, she heard Ruby climb down behind her. She turned around to see that the drop was only a couple of feet, but Ruby managed to land on the muddy ground gracefully. Belle climbed down after her, and Ruby helped her down, steadying her as she slipped off of the rope. “Are you okay?” Ruby asked. She took in the sight of the mysterious man and asked. “Who is he?”

“Killian Jones,” the man said with a smile. It was then that Emma noticed that he only had one hand. “Who are you?”

Ruby stepped forward. “I’m Ruby Lucas. 

Belle joined Ruby and said, “I’m Belle French.” She pointed to Emma and said, “This is Emma Swan.”

“Swan,” Killian said, as though trying out the name on his tongue. “How did you lovely lasses find this place?”

Belle showed him the treasure map, and his eyes lit up in recognition. “You found the map.” Emma looked curiously at him and he quickly said, “I’ve heard about it in my studies.” Killian sighed and added, “It’s much harder to search for treasure without a bloody map.”

“Who are you?” Emma asked, her eyebrow raised in suspicion. Something about this Killian seemed off, and she could tell that he wasn’t being completely honest. “What are you doing here?”

Killian smiled and answered. “The same reason you are, I presume. To find the fabled treasure of Captain Hook.”

Ruby and Belle’s eyes lit up in excitement. “What do you know about him?” Belle asked. “I couldn’t find anything about him in my books.”

Emma noticed that Killian looked kind of deflated by her statement, but explained, “I’m what you would call a pirate enthusiast.”

“A what now?” Emma asked.

Killian smiled at her, and Emma looked away as she felt her cheeks involuntarily flush. “I study the legends of pirates. Captain Hook was one of the most fearsome pirates based in this area. He amassed a large amount of wealth over the years. Unfortunately, he lost everything in a crocodile attack.”

“A crocodile attack?” Ruby asked skeptically.

“It wasn’t an ordinary crocodile, lass,” Killian replied. Emma saw that he looked slightly fearful at the thought. “Anyway the crocodile took everything from him and he was buried in this area along with his treasure.”

Belle explained, “Emma here came across the map, stuffed in a bottle on the beach.”

Killian smiled at her, and then bowed slightly. “Well, Swan, perhaps I could join forces with your friends and we can work together to find the treasure.”

Emma narrowed her eyes at him. “Why should we trust you?”

“Tell me,” Killian said, “Did you hear a voice on your way here? Telling you to turn back?” Emma’s eyes widened and she nodded. “I did too,” Killian explained, “but I’ve never been one to heed warnings.” He held out his hand to her, “What do you say, Emma, shall we find out what Hook is hiding together?”

Emma looked at Killian’s outstretched hand and then back at Ruby and Belle. They seemed eager to take up his offer, and Emma knew that she would have no choice but to go along with them. “Fine,” Emma said, taking Killian’s hand. “But don’t think I’m taking my eyes off you for a second.”

Killian smiled. “I’d despair if you did.” Emma felt her cheeks flush again and she cursed herself for reacting to his charm like that. The four of them gathered together, and Killian said, “From what I’ve read, the path to Hook’s treasure is no easy feat. There are a series of trials that we must pass that will truly test us.”

“Don’t tell me that we’re going to be chased by a boulder,” Emma said.

He stared at her blankly and asked, “Boulder?”

Emma explained, “You know, from Indiana Jones.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” Killian asked, his face falling slightly.

Ruby and Belle giggled behind her. “What? No!” Emma said quickly. “You’ve never watched an Indiana Jones movie?”

Killian paused for a moment and admitted, “I’ve never watched a movie.”

Emma almost felt sorry for him, but she decided to focus her attention on getting them out of this cavern as quickly as possible. “Do you know what the trials are?”

He nodded. “Aye. There are three, one to test your thinking, one to test your ability to overcome fear, and one to prove your trustworthiness. Only once you pass the tests are you able to reach Hook’s treasure.”

Emma handed him her flashlight and said, “Lead the way.” Killian looked at the flashlight in awe, as though it held the secrets of the universe. He clicked it on and off a few times and then kept it on as he started walking deeper into the cavern. Emma, Ruby, and Belle followed him, bracing themselves for the adventure ahead.

“First treasure hunt, Swan?” Killian asked as they walked.

She nodded. “I’m definitely not a so-called ‘pirate enthusiast.’”

Killian laughed. “Not everyone is.”

Before Emma could reply, she noticed a wire on the ground. Quickly, she grabbed Killian and pulled him closer to her. He grinned at their closeness and said, “It’s about bloody time.”

He leaned in to kiss her, but Emma turned away. She pointed down at the wire, and he nodded in understanding. Unfortunately for them, Belle nearly tripped over the wire as she and Ruby caught up to them.

“I’m sorry,” Belle said, looking fearful.

Emma quickly assured her. “It’s fine.” At first, nothing happened as the four of them waited with dread and anticipation.

Suddenly, they heard a loud rumble and Emma saw with horror that the stone walls were moving towards each other. The four of them ran to the gap, hoping to make it through before the stone walls trapped them completely.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to make it in time, and they found themselves trapped inside with only their flashlights allowing them to see anything in the pitch blackness. Emma took her flashlight back from Killian and looked around the room for a way out.

Suddenly, the room burst with light as a ring of fire illuminated the room from the ceiling. Emma, Ruby, and Belle turned off their flashlights, as they could clearly see the room in front of them. They heard a rumbling noise and several stone walls jumped out of the floor.

From what Emma could tell, the stone walls were forming some type of maze. She turned to the others and asked, “Do you think we should split up?”

Killian shook his head. “That’s not a good idea, love. There’s no telling what the crocodile put in there.”

Emma was about to ask what he meant by that, but Ruby said, “I’ll go first. You went first last time.” She nodded and allowed Ruby to enter the entrance of the maze first. Belle, Emma, and Killian followed behind her.

They reached many dead ends throughout the seemingly never ending maze, but none of them wavered in their determination to make it out unscathed. At one of the dead ends, was a stone table that a diamond-shaped stone laid upon. Belle pocketed it and they continued upon their way

At another dead end, there was another stone table. However, this one had a single hook lying on it. “I was wondering where that was,” Killian remarked looking at it with a look of recognition.

Emma looked between the hook and Killian, glancing down at the place where Killian was missing a hand. She thought back to everything Killian had said previously, and a look of realization crossed her face.

She grabbed the hook, and brandished it at Killian. “Who are you, really?” Ruby and Belle looked confused at the turn of events. 

Killian looked like he had been caught, but he attempted to maintain his composure. “What do you mean, love?”

“What are you talking about?” Ruby asked looking between the two of them apprehensively.

Emma pointed at Killian and declared. “He’s Captain Hook!” She knew how ridiculous she sounded. After all, this morning she thought the whole idea of this treasure hunt was a waste of time.

Ruby and Belle were looking at her as though she had grown two heads, and Emma explained her reasoning. “He knows a lot about this pirate even though Belle wasn’t able to find any information in any of her books. He’s never seen a movie. He talks like he’s several centuries old. He’s even dressed like a pirate” She glanced over at Killian, who avoided her eyes. “He said himself that Captain Hook was buried here with his treasure.” She held out the hook to him and said, “I believe this is yours.”

Killian took the hook from her and put it in where his missing hand would be. It fit perfectly as he clicked it into place. “It’s true,” he said, causing Ruby and Belle to gasp. He held out his hooked hand and said, “My name is really Killian Jones, but most people in my day knew me by my more colorful moniker.”

Emma felt a sense of triumph at being right about her suspicions. She fake-curtsied and said sarcastically, “Pleasure to meet you Captain. Now please leave us alone and go buckle some swash or whatever you lying, thieving pirates do.”

“I thought we were bonding, Swan,” Killian said, his face fell as he looked sadly up at her.

She rolled her eyes, refusing to fall for any of his tricks. “I don’t trust you. You lied to us.”

Killian looked at her with pleading puppy-dog eyes. “I’m sorry, but you can trust me. I’m still Killian Jones, and I’m still a pirate enthusiast. I haven’t had company down here in centuries, and I didn’t want to scare you away.”

Emma tried to ignore his seemingly sincere apology, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him behind. “Fine,” she said, “You can come with us.”

He grinned with a boyish enthusiasm and said, “Thank you, ladies.” None of them spoke as Ruby and Belle led them to the exit of the maze. Emma breathed a sigh of relief as they finally made it through the maze, but it turned to a groan as she saw that they were still locked in there.

Belle walked over to examine the locked door. Noticing a small dent cut into the stone, she pulled out the piece of stone they had found in the maze. She placed it in, and it fit in perfectly. Belle grabbed onto Ruby as the door shifted, creating an opening for them. Once Belle realized what she had done, she pulled herself from Ruby’s arms. However, Emma could see a blush in her cheeks that was illuminated by the fire light.

They stepped into the next clearing and all four of them breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad that’s over,” Ruby said.

Killian said, “Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning.”

Emma yawned and said, “We should set up camp for the night.”

“Aren’t you glad I suggested bringing a sleeping bag,” Ruby said, grinning at Emma.”

Sighing, Emma said, “Yeah, you were right.” They had a quick dinner of the protein bars they had packed in their bag. Killian looked apprehensively at the bar Emma handed to him. “It won’t bite,” Emma said.

He slowly unwrapped the bar and took a tiny bite. Swallowing it, he said, “It’s not bad.”

“Food has changed a lot in the past couple of centuries,” Emma said, “You should try some if you ever get out of here.”

Killian tensed, his face frowning. “Perhaps, someday,” he said wistfully.

Belle looked eagerly at Killian. “So, Captain,” she said, “Can you tell us your story?”

He smiled at her and said, “I would love to.” Belle and Ruby looked at him in anticipation. Even Emma was interested in the pirate’s tale.

Killian looked between the three of them and began his story.

  
  


“Many centuries ago, I sailed on a beautiful ship known as the Jolly Roger,” Killian said wistfully. “I had a loyal crew and we sailed around the world, pillaging and plundering treasures of great value. One night, I met a woman in a tavern looking for freedom from her unhappy marriage and I offered her adventure. Milah and I fell in love not long after that, but alas it didn’t last long.”

Emma listened intently to his story, and noticed that Ruby and Belle were equally entranced. She noticed that Killian kept glancing at her as he talked, clearly trying to win her over. “Her husband,” Killian continued, “Had become a powerful sorcerer in the time since Milah left him. His skin became scaly, like a crocodile.” He added bitterly, “It matched his scaly personality.”

“What did he do?” Belle asked in anticipation.

Killian frowned and Emma saw sadness in his eyes. “He killed my Milah and cut off my hand.” Emma’s heart broke for him. She had experienced her own heartbreak over the years, but she had never watched someone she loved die in front of her.

Ruby asked, “And then he cursed you?”

He shook his head. “Not yet, lass.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I swore vengeance on him as soon as he left my ship. I took a hook from my ship and attached it as my new hand. My crew stayed with me as we sailed all over the world. I looked far and wide for a way to kill that bloody crocodile.”

“About a year later, I had a very good chance. However, my attempt to poison him with dreamshade failed, and he cursed me into this cavern. For the next couple of centuries, I stayed trapped in this cavern with nothing but my thoughts.”

Turning to Emma, he said, “You heard the Crocodile’s voice on your way here.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Is he still alive?”

Killian shrugged. “No idea, love. I’m sure that he took every measure to torture me.” He grimaced and said, “He talks to me down here sometimes, taunting me.”

“Maybe going through the trials will free you?” Emma suggested, feeling more determined to get through them then ever.

He paused, and then said, “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

Belle yawned and Ruby said, “Let’s get some sleep.” Emma and Killian nodded in agreement.

As she grabbed her sleeping bag, Emma remembered that Killian didn’t have one. “Here,” she said, offering it to him.

Killian shook his head. “You can keep it, Swan. I’ve spent centuries sleeping in this cave.”

Emma decided not to argue, not wanting to give up the bag. “Good night, Killian.”

“Good night,” he replied, smiling. Emma settled into her sleeping bag, but found that she couldn’t fall asleep. She opened her eyes and noticed that Killian was staring off into the distance. “You can’t sleep either?”

He shook his head. “Care to join me?”

Emma yawned, but crawled out of her bag, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep any time soon. “How long have your friends been together?” Killian asked.

She looked over to them, and saw that they had found their way towards each other in their sleep. “They’re not,” Emma explained, “Not officially.” She explained the situation to him, and he listened intently.

“So what you’re saying,” Killian clarified, “Is that they need a little push to bring them closer?”

Emma nodded. “If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.”

Killian looked at her with a thoughtful expression. “I think that the other trials might help in that regard.”

“What are they?” Emma asked.

He replied, “One of them forces us to confront our worst fears, while the final one forces us to reveal our darkest secrets.”

Emma grimaced at the descriptions. Neither of those trials sounded fun. However, she had come too far to give up now. The finish line was in sight, and Emma couldn’t deny that she was excited by the prospect of the treasure awaiting them at the end of this insane hunt.

Yawning, she realized that it would be best for her to get some sleep before what seemed to be incredibly emotionally exhausting trials. “We should get some sleep,” Emma said, making her way back to her sleeping bag.

Killian nodded and said, “As you wish.”

She crawled back into her bag, hoping to be able to fall asleep this time. Thankfully, she finally was able to fall into a deep sleep, the last thought being the treasure and introducing Killian to the modern world.

  
  


A couple hours later, she felt two arms shaking her awake. Her body tensed as her eyes flew open, but she calmed down upon seeing that it was just Ruby. “Morning,” Emma groaned, wishing that she could have more time, preferably in the comfort of her own bed back home.

“Morning,” Ruby said, handing her a protein bar. Emma frowned at it, but was too hungry to pass up the only food they had thought to pack. Climbing out of her sleeping bag, she saw Killian and Belle talking over where Emma and Killian had talked last night. Belle’s eyes lit up with excitement as Killian told her stories of his pirate adventures. Emma quickly finished her protein bar and packed up her sleeping bag, as she noticed that Ruby and Belle had repacked their bags already.

Once she was ready to go, the four of them continued on their journey deeper into the cavern. Killian told Ruby and Belle the details of the trials that he had explained to her last night. He glanced over at her with a smile, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.

They reached another entrance and stopped before it. “I’ll go first,” Killian said, stepping into the darkness that swallowed him whole.

The three of them waited nervously at the entrance. No sound was heard, but something in Emma’s gut told her that Killian was in no real danger inside. After a few moments, they finally heard Killian call out, “I made it through!”

Emma couldn’t help but smile in relief. “I’ll go next,” she said to Ruby and Belle, noticing that Ruby looked more apprehensive about the trial than Belle. The two of them nodded and Emma stepped into the darkness.

Not long after, the fire lit on the walls like it had in the first trial. There was nothing in the room, but Emma still tensed, knowing that she shouldn’t be lured into a false sense of security.

“Hello, Emma,” a voice that she had not heard for years spoke behind her. Emma heart raced with fear as she turned around to find herself face to face with her ex-boyfriend, Neal Cassidy. At least it was a projection of him, as Emma knew that he was probably not really there.

Trying to manage her fear, Emma took a deep breath and said, “Hello, Neal.”

Neal smirked and asked, “Did you miss me?”

Emma flashed back to when she was a teenager, waiting for Neal to show up. The hours ticked by but he never came. She had gone to his house, and found that he had completely deserted town without a single note or a single goodbye. Her mind flashed back to happier memories, when she had thought they had been in love.

She saw that Neal was still smirking as he waited for an answer. She forced herself to focus, knowing that overcoming this was the only was she could move forward. “No,” Emma forced herself to say.

Neal simply laughed. “Lying isn’t going to help you in the next trial. I know you, Emma, you were devastated when I left.” Emma shivered involuntarily. “You’re probably still hung up on me.” Emma’s blood boiled with rage. “Do you know why I left you?” Neal asked, seeming to enjoy Emma’s reactions.

“Enlighten me,” Emma said through gritted teeth.

He explained, “I left because you meant nothing to me.” Emma tensed as she heard the words she had always feared wash over her. “Your parents dropped you off in foster care because you meant nothing to them. It’s only a matter of time before your friends and pirate abandon you as well.”

She was paralyzed with fear, as she watched him continue to smirk at her. Forcing herself to steady her breathing, she knew that she had to overcome this. “I am not nothing,” she almost shouted, “I was never nothing!”

Neal recoiled as she hit him with a glare. “I’ve moved on from you, and you no longer hold any power over me.”

With her words, Neal’s projection disappeared in front of her eyes. The stone door at the end of the room opened and Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she walked towards the exit, where Killian was sitting on a rock waiting for her. “I’m on the other side!” She called out to Ruby and Belle as she joined Killian, still shaken by the trial.  
Killian noticed her discomfort and said, “You’re safe now, love.”

Emma nodded. “I know, it just felt so real.”

“What was yours?” Killian asked.

She quickly replied, “You first.” She needed to catch her breath before she could recount that trial again.

He sighed, “I was forced to watch Milah die again as the Crocodile taunted me.” 

“That’s rough,” Emma replied, her heart breaking for him. Her hand reached for his hook and she gripped the cool metal in her hands. 

Killian looked surprised, but a small smile graced his handsome face. “It’s okay. I think this is the first time it hasn’t affected me as much as it had before.”

Her eyes widened, questioning what he could mean by that. She assumed that maybe he had the same revelation as her, that they needed to move on from their pasts and overcome what had happened to them. She simply replied, “Me too.”

“What was yours?” He asked, repeating his earlier question. 

Emma tensed, hesitating on whether to answer the question. “It was the feeling of being unwanted,” she finally said, deciding not to go into full detail of what she had experienced.

Killian looked shocked at her confession. “You? Unwanted?” She nodded, and he looked horrified. “You’re the farthest thing from unwanted. I see how your friends admire you, they want you in their lives. I don’t know the other people in your life, but you’ve made me smile more times during our time together than I have in years.”

Emma felt her face flush again, her heart fluttering at his words. “Thank you,” was all she managed to get out, still stunned at the compliment. 

Before she could say anything else, Ruby ran towards them, panting but triumphant. Emma let go of Killian’s hook and stood up. “Peter?” Emma asked, having a pretty good idea of what Ruby had faced back in the trial.

Ruby nodded. “Neal?” Emma nodded and saw Killian looking between the two of them with a quizzical expression. Ruby called out to Belle and the three of them waited for her to come through.

After a few moments, Belle came running out. Tears streamed down her face and she looked shaken. Ruby ran to her and Belle embraced her tightly, any tension or awkwardness between them having seemingly vanished in the moment. “It’s okay,” Ruby whispered, rubbing her back as Belle sobbed into her shoulder. “I’ve got you.”

Emma and Killian shared a knowing look and they waited a couple of moments before Emma cleared her throat. The two women pulled apart as they turned to face her. “Are you okay?” Emma asked Belle, who seemed calmer but still shaken.

Belle nodded and assured the rest of the group, “I’ll be okay. We’re almost there.”

Killian pointed them forward and they followed him towards the final trial. Emma, Ruby, and Belle gasped as they saw a giant treasure chest loaded with gold coins and jewels at the end of the room. The only problem that there was a large, empty space between them and the treasure.

“How do we get across?” Ruby asked, staring in awe at the treasure before them.

Emma turned to Killian and asked, “You said something about telling the truth, right?”

He nodded. “Aye. You’re supposed to confess your deepest secrets, and only then will we be able to cross.”

Ruby stepped forward and confessed, “I stole money from Granny’s cash register to buy new shoes when I was sixteen.” Nothing happened, and after a couple of moments, Ruby frowned.

“You have to get deeper than that, mate,” Killian replied. “Don’t you have something to confess that you are truly afraid of admitting out loud, or towards someone?” He looked pointedly between her and Belle.

It didn’t take long for Ruby to understand the point he was trying to make. Emma noticed that she was terrified as she looked towards Belle. “Go on,” Emma whispered, “You can do it.”

Taking a deep breath, Ruby walked towards Belle, who turned her attention towards her. She nervously said, “Belle French. I’ll never forget the day we met in the university dining hall freshman year.” Belle smiled at the memory, and Ruby continued, “You were reading “The Mysterious Island” and you had your hair tucked behind your ear and you smiled up at me and asked me to join you. We’ve been friends ever since…” Ruby paused, bracing herself for what she was about to confess. “I’m thankful for our friendship, but I never wanted to just be your friend. I fell in love with you that day, and I’ve been in love with you ever since.” 

Belle glanced up at her in shock, but her expression soon turned to a grin as her eyes teared up. Everyone jumped as a piece of stone slid out of their side of the room, closing the gap and forming the beginning of a bridge. “I’m really glad you told me,” Belle said, turning to Ruby. “It actually ties into my confession.” Ruby looked worried, but Belle stepped towards her, taking Ruby’s hands in hers. “These past couple of months, I’ve been questioning a lot of things about my life, particularly in my love life. It’s no secret that I’ve been in a lot of terrible relationships, you’ve helped me through so many of them. I’ve realized that I’ve been looking in the wrong places and that the person I want to be with has been in the next room over all of this time.” Ruby looked at her with a hopeful expression. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m in love with you too, Ruby Lucas.”

The stone bridge moved farther towards the treasure, but Ruby and Belle didn’t seem to notice as they only had eyes for each other. As the bridge stopped, Emma decided to take her turn. She was terrified about what she was about to confess, but she knew that she couldn’t back out after her friends had gathered the courage to finally confess their love for each other. She turned to Killian and said, “Killian, I’ve put up walls for so long, that I haven’t been able to look past them. I thought this whole treasure hunt thing was stupid, but for the first time I feel like I can finally move past everything that has been holding me back. I think I’m starting to fall for you, Killian, and I think that’s more important than any treasure.” Emma exhaled a sigh of relief as the bridge moved again. She looked at Killian, and saw that he was looking at her with sad eyes.

“I’m falling for you too, Swan,” Killian began his confession. “I wish that I could have a happy beginning with you and that we could spend more time together in your world.” Emma looked apprehensively, wondering what Killian was about to confess. “I can’t leave this cavern,” Killian said, and Emma’s heart broke. “That was part of the Crocodile’s curse, to trap me here with centuries with no hope.”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears as the stone moved and finally reached the other side. Killian tried to walk towards her, but she ran down the path they had come down. “Swan,” Killian called out, “Wait!”

She turned around, shouting, “You told me there was a chance!”

“I’m sorry,” Killian said, looking on the verge of tears. “I truly am. I wish that things could be different. I wasn’t lying when I said I was falling for you.” Emma glared at him. “I wanted you to make it to the end, I want you to have my treasure. It does no good to me down here, and you deserve it, all of it.”

Emma wiped a couple of tears from her face. “You’d give up your treasure for me?”

Killian nodded, “Aye.” Before she could stop herself, she pulled him closer by his pirate leather, planting a kiss on his lips. He put his real hand on her cheek, cupping her face as he kissed her back. Emma felt a sensation that could only be described as magical, and deepened the kiss.

Reluctantly, she pulled away from him, feeling empowered by the awestruck look on his face. She wished that she could do it again, but she couldn’t deny that it was a hell of a kiss for a one-time thing. “You did it,” Killian said in awe.

She looked incredulously at him. “Did what?”

“The curse,” he explained. “It’s broken. I can feel it.”

Emma felt a thrill shoot down her spine. “Are you sure?” He nodded, but she still couldn’t believe it. “Does this mean?”

Killian nodded. “I think so. I hope so.”

She kissed him again. “If it is,” she said, “I can’t wait to show you how much things have changed over the past few centuries.”

“I look forward to it,” Killian replied. He gestured back to where the treasure was lying, waiting for them. “Shall we?”

Emma nodded and they walked back. They were greeted by the sight of Ruby and Belle with their arms around each other, kissing each other like their life depended on it. “It’s about bloody time,” Emma called out to them.

They broke apart, looking slightly embarrassed, but happier than Emma had seen either of them in months. She couldn’t help but feel happy for her two best friends, though she wished that it hadn’t taken a perilous adventure for it to finally happen. The four of them approached the treasure. “How are we going to get this chest out of here?” Ruby asked.

“I guess we’ll have to take the treasure in our bags,” Belle said.

Killian nodded in agreement. “The four of us should be able to carry a good portion of it out.”

Ruby and Belle gaped at him. “I thought you said you couldn’t leave?”

“I couldn’t,” Killian replied, “But I think Emma’s kiss broke my curse.” 

Ruby shot Emma a look that indicated that she would be asking a lot of questions later. “True love’s kiss?”

“Perhaps,” Killian replied, “Only one way to find out.” The four of them packed as much of the treasure as they could, managing to get most of it into their bags and pockets.

They made their way back across the bridge. “Do we have to repeat the trials to get out?” Belle asked.

Killian shook his head. “I don’t think so.” They walked back through the cavern, talking excitedly about their adventure and what they would do with their treasure. As they reached the entrance to the cave, Emma was relieved to find that their rope was still waiting for them. She let Ruby and Belle climb up first before attempting the climb herself. Once she reached the cave’s entrance, she was blinded by the sunlight waiting at the mouth of the cave. She helped Killian up and they caught their breaths.

“Moment of truth,” Emma said looking at Killian. He held out his hand and Emma took it. She could see that Killian was apprehensive as they reached the edge, but he was relieved as he exited the cave with no problem. 

Killian put his hand over his eyes. “I forgot how bright the sun is,” he commented. Emma couldn’t help but kiss him as Ruby and Belle joined them. They walked back through the forest, and Emma was pleased that the Crocodile’s voice didn’t taunt her any longer.

As they arrived back at the edge of Storybrooke, Killian gaped at the sights before him. He was speechless and Emma couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm as well as the way he jumped when a car drove past them. A lot of people stared at them as they walked through town, and Emma knew that it was because they all looked like they had been through hell. That and Killian was still dressed like he belonged in a different era.

They reached their apartment and they showed Killian around, promising that they would answer his questions later. Emma showed Killian how to work the shower and gave him some clothes she found that were around his size. After a while, Emma was starting to get worried about him and told him that he only needed about five to ten minutes to shower.

After what felt like an eternity, Killian finally came out dressed in his temporary clothes. Emma, Ruby and Belle took their own showers before the four of them went down to Granny’s for something other than protein bars. 

As they entered the restaurant, everyone was intrigued by Killian, particularly the ladies. However, Killian seemed to only have eyes for Emma…and all of the food that he had never seen before. Ruby and Belle held hands as they recounted their adventures, and Granny particularly seemed thrilled that they had finally gotten together. One townsperson glanced at one of the gold coins Ruby had in her pocket and declared that it would probably be worth millions in today’s day. Upon hearing that, Ruby ordered drinks for everyone in the restaurant and led a toast to new beginnings.

As the evening wore on, Ruby and Belle made their way back to the apartment. “Care to go for a walk?” Emma asked, turning to Killian.

“Of course,” Killian said, sliding his arm into hers. They walked throughout town and Emma gave him the grand tour of Storybrooke.

They walked back to the apartment building and sat on the bench outside. “How are you liking the present?” Emma asked, leaning into Killian.

Killian ran his fingers through her hair. “Strange, but exciting,” he replied, “Far better than that bloody cavern.” She kissed him and he said, “Thank you. For saving me.”

Emma laughed. “All in a day’s work for a treasure hunter.” She paused before adding, “There’s so much more I need to show you.”

“I look forward to it,” Killian replied. They decided to go back to the apartment and found Ruby and Belle fast asleep in each other’s arms on Ruby’s bed. They looked peaceful and Emma was glad that they finally could have a new beginning.

She turned to Kilian and said, “You can take Belle’s bed for now.” 

Kissing her pirate goodnight, she slept peacefully, excited for their new, hopefully happy, beginning.


End file.
